Finding Truths
by erikablair
Summary: After failing to tun up on the Hogwarts Express for his 2nd year, McGonagall and Snape go to Privet Drive to find out where Harry is. What they find is horrifying. Feeling like Harry could use the diary more, Ginny gives it to Harry. With plenty to write about and a growing darkness, what will the wizarding world do when Tom Riddle decides for the first time he can relate? Slowburn
1. Chapter 1

McGonagall and Snape approached 4 Privet Drive in silence. It was the second day of term and after Potter's noted absence at the feast and his continued absence for the night, Dumbledore asked McGonagall and Snape to check up on Harry. McGonagall was feeling apprehensive and worried, while Snape was feeling immense irritation – no doubt Potter had purposefully disregarded the rules and thought he could turn up whenever he wanted. Arrogant brat.

Walking down the path towards the house, they noticed Potter's bird, Hedwig, incessantly pecking at the window with the bars on it. That must be Potter's room. The bars were odd but knowing Muggle's Snape suggested it must be for added security. McGonagall nodded absently but was then confused on why Harry hadn't opened it for his bird. After doing a quick scan of house, they determined no one was home and let themselves in with a simple 'Alohomora'.

Scaling the stairs, Snape couldn't help but notice the lack of Potter in the family pictures along the wall and was quite frankly disgusted at the state his cousin, no doubt, was in. Petunia was obviously not a good child-rearer if she had two boys at such physical extremes – Potter who was almost skeletal and Dudley who looked like he was two adults combined.

Immediately they noticed the amount of locks on the door to the side of the staircase, approaching it they also noticed a smell that was almost rancid. Surely this couldn't be Potter's room, but after looking in the other rooms on the level and seeing no Potter or Hedwig at the window they concluded that it was.

Approaching the locks, Snape had to cover his nose and mouth at the sheer stench. How could Potter live in such filth? Although, internally there was a creeping worry and terror, because while Snape wanted to ignore the familiarity of the scent, it came to his mind regardless. Potter's room smelt like death. After painstakingly unlocking all the locks, they pushed open the door only to be met with a horrid sight.

Snape paled drastically and McGonagall let out a muted scream. Harry was lying on his bed, unresponsive and unmoving. He looked to be lying in his own filth, with bruises and open wounds across his body. McGonagall was the first to respond and stepped towards Harry, unmindful of the smell, and let out a small breath of relief at feeling his pulse – however small it was.

"Severus," McGonagall snapped, "You need to get healers immediately."

Snapping back to reality, Snape nodded and apparated to St. Mungo's, only to apparate back a few moments later with a hoard of healers. They immediately swarmed Potter and began trying to heal him enough so he could be moved to St. Mungo's. McGonagall and Snape stood back from the chaos, watching the healers' act with a determination and grimness they hadn't seen since the war.

Finally, the healers' seemed to have stabilised Potter enough and immediately apparated him to St. Mungo's. Wiping away the sweat on his brow, Gareth Magnus approached the two Hogwarts teachers, determined to find out how a child, let alone Harry Potter, had become in such a state. They seemed frozen, still staring at the bed where Mr. Potter had been lying. He grimaced at the sight of it. He had no idea how Harry Potter had survived as long as he had lying in his own filth, let alone with the level of infection his wounds had. As much as he wanted to burn it, he knew he couldn't, the Aurors would want it for evidence.

Clearing his throat, he gained their attention.

"What relation do you have to Mr. Potter?" Magnus asked.

"We are teachers at Hogwarts, I am also his head of house." McGonagall replied, a slight tremor in her voice.

"We came because he hadn't arrived at Hogwarts and we were concerned for him. It seems we were right to be." She continued, an odd note to her voice.

Magnus nodded, seemingly satisfied. "He has been moved to St. Mungo's and will need to be monitored. He has lost a lot of fluids, and his injuries were… extensive to say the least. Signs of long-term abuse has also been recorded and will need to be reviewed and appropriately treated. I will need to contact the Auror's about this, and due to who it is they might also alert the Minister."

McGonagall nodded, seemingly expecting this. Snape didn't respond and continued to stare at Potter's bed.

"Dumbledore will also need to be alerted about this; it could be a while till Mr. Potter is well enough to be discharged." Magnus continued.

"How was he injured?" Snape asked softly.

McGonagall flinched at the question. Although she had her suspicions, the same she knew Severus did, she did not relish in being proven correct. The worst sort of Muggles indeed.

"Although we cannot determine who did it until Mr. Potter wakes up, it has been diagnosed that all his injuries were completely without any magic. His family I'm sure will be interviewed as soon as the Auror's get the case." Magnus replied, trying to stay clinical but not completely able to stop the disgust coating his words as he said 'family'.

Severus nodded before abruptly apparating away, now doubt to drink himself into a stupor that McGonagall was keen to emulate.

"Do you need any more information from me?" McGonagall asked, praying he didn't. She had a bottle of firewhiskey in her rooms she desperately wanted to drink.

Seeing the strain she was under Magnus shook his head.

"Not at the moment, but you will probably be the main point of contact for us regarding Harry Potter. As he is muggle-raised, and we do not know the identity of his magical guardian, his head of house is the closest relation he currently has," Magnus replied.

Swallowing thickly, she nodded. Absently murmuring her goodbye's she apparated back to the school to drink until she forgot what she saw.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry was feeling quite bleary when he woke up. He noticed he wasn't in pain anymore and wondered if his magic had finally healed all the damage heaped on him after Dobby had dropped the cake on the Masons. His Uncle, having lost out on quite a lucrative business deal, had given him the most vicious beating to date, it didn't help that Dudley had joined in on the fun.

Looking around, he noticed that he seemed to be in a hospital. Had Vernon really drove him to a hospital? It didn't seem likely, but the sterile air and crisp white surfaces said otherwise. He wondered what excuse Vernon had come up with for his injuries. Sitting up he clutched at his ribs, they were still a bit tender but hardly unmanageable. He put on his glasses that were on the bedside table and the hospital room came a bit more in focus. He noticed he was in a private room, and his bedside table held a small mound of gifts and cards. Curious he opened one up and found it to be from Ron, inside was a chocolate frog. He smiled slightly and set it back on the table.

He knew Vernon wouldn't have gone to the trouble of getting Harry a private room, and he doubted his friends, bar Hermione, would have known how to even send him gifts while in Hospital. These questions continued to run through his head as he settled back against the pillows. The sound of a door opening brought him out of his thoughts, and a man who Harry assumed was the doctor walked in. He was wearing a ¾ length white robe, that split at his hip, showing black trousers underneath, and a high collar, with 3 buttons securing it at the neck. The doctor didn't seem to be surprised he was up and came to the end of the bed to review the clipboard sitting at the end of it.

"How are you feeling Mr. Potter?"

"A little sore," Harry rasped, "But mostly I'm fine."

The doctor nodded before taking Harry's chin delicately in his hand, turning it from side to side.

"No dizziness? Nausea? Headaches?" The doctor asked.

"No sir," Harry emphasised by shaking his head once the doctor released him.

"Good," the doctor seemed to relax from his previously tense position. "I am Gareth Magnus; I have been your primary healer during your stay at St. Mungo's."

'Healer? St. Mungo's?' Harry thought. "St. Mungo's?"

"Yes, it's the main wizarding hospital in Britain." Magnus replied. "Mr. Potter, your injuries were quite extensive, and an investigation has been made."

Magnus watched as Harry seemed to freeze at his words.

"While the Auror's are investigating this incident and your home life, they will also be coming here to interview you. Do you understand Mr Potter?"

Harry's tongue felt heavy in his mouth when he replied in the affirmative. As the conversation continued between Harry and Healer Magnus, he discovered that he had been unconscious for a week while they had healed him. Healer Magnus continued on this thread and mentioned how for the foreseeable future he would be on a very strict regimen of nutrient potions in an effort to reverse his severe malnutrition.

When Healer Magnus mentioned that Harry would probably go through quite a few growth spurts as a result of healing the long-time damage his relatives caused, he was all for it. He'd always been the smallest boy in his year, and the prospect of being the same height and maybe even taller than his classmates was an exciting prospect. What had really caught his attention though was the opportunity of fixing his eyesight.

"You mean I won't need to wear glasses anymore?"

"No, Mr Potter" Healer Magnus explained with a smile, "Although the potion is a complicated brew, we can have the potion for you to take the day after tomorrow, that is if you want it?"

Harry thought about it, he was a bit sad that he might not look like his Dad so much anymore but upon thinking on how many times the Dursley's, particularly Dudley, had broken his glasses or stolen them from him, his decision was made.

"I'd like the eyesight potion too please."

Healer Magnus nodded once, "Excellent, I'll start the process for you to receive the eyesight correcting potion. Now Mr Potter, although Hogwarts has started, we will continue to hold you another week to make sure you are healing correctly, and everything is progressing normally. After that, you can begin going to Hogwarts as usual although I would ask that you visit the school's medicentre once a week, so they update us on your progress. Is that alright with you, Mr Potter?"

"Yes – but Healer Magnus, how will I catch up on school?" Harry asked.

Healer Magnus smiled, "Don't worry about that Mr Potter, a particularly persistent witch should be here tomorrow with all the work you missed, as well as your other friends."

Harry smiled brightly at that, he hadn't received any of their mail during the summer due to Dobby and he was looking forward to seeing them.

Harry's smile fell as a thought occurred to him, "Healer Magnus, do people _know_ why I'm here?"

Healer Magnus pursed his lips in displeasure, "Unfortunately Mr Potter, it appears that someone at St. Mungo's leaked your state and the reasoning behind it to the press. Miss Skeeter wrote an extremely _detailed_ article in the Daily Prophet," Magnus hissed. "You'll be pleased to know Mr Potter that we take our patient's security very seriously here, the persons reasonable have been fired and stripped of their medical licenses. I'm sorry this happened to you Mr Potter." He said apologetically.

Harry clenched his fists, trying to reign in the rage and hopelessness he felt. He could feel his magic roiling under his skin before sparking out, causing him to fall back onto the bed in exhaustion.

Looking up he noticed Healer Magnus eyeing him wearily, "Is everything okay, sir?" Harry asked, a quizzical expression on his face.

Healer Magnus gave a tight smile to Harry, "Yes, Mr Potter. Now Mr Potter, is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Well sir, my ribs are a bit tender" Harry nervously mentioned.

A dark expression came over Magnus' face briefly before clearing, making Harry wonder if he had imagined it.

"Of course, Mr Potter. Here is a pain potion for you, it's only medium grade but it should do the trick. Let me know if you need anymore."

"Thank you, sir."

Magnus' smile curved amusedly, "No need to call me sir Mr Potter, Magnus is fine. Now the Auror's are outside of the door wanting to speak with you. Are you feeling up to it? It's completely fine if you need time, Mr Potter."

"No Magnus, I'd like to do it now if that's alright. Also, you can call me Harry if you like," Harry tacked on shyly.

"Thank you, Harry, I'll go let them know they can come in. Let me know if you need anything else Harry, we'll be more than happy to help" Magnus gave Harry nod before leaving the room.

As Harry sat in his Hospital bed his only thought of was, what now?


End file.
